944 wheels

[OPRN]

I am curious as to what rims were supplied with what cars. My '83 944 came to me with 16" Fuchs, my '85 has 15" phone dials, a friend has an '86(I think)with 15"cookie cutters and I just bought an '86 with 15" Fuchs. Is there any rhyme or reason to what came on these cars?

[racer]

Yes.. iirc,

7x15 cookie cutters were the base wheel
7x15 phone dials were also a base wheel
7x15 and 8x15 fuchs were optional
7x16 and 8x16 fuchs were optional
7x16 and 8x16 phone dials were optional

Really, any "early offset" wheel will fit on an "early" 944. 7x15 on each corner was the base wheel. I imagine around '85, the cookie was phased out and the phone dial phased in as the new base wheel? By 1987, they changed offsets. The cookies no longer were used. Phone dials (15 and 16"), sewer lids/928 wheels were used.

[9FF]

What a great explaination by racer!

I will also add that although most people think that early offset wheels were all ET23.3, however the rear 8x15 Fuchs (and possibly others idk) were ET10.6 and were fitted with a factory spacer.

[OPRN]

Thanks racer!

I am an old school guy and to me the fuchs just seem right for a Porsche. I am not so up on Porsche history but the moment I saw the '83 with the 16" fuchs I suspected they might be a bit desirable. And yes 9FF it does have spacers on the rear.

I guess it's just me but the 928 sewer lids just never did turn my crank!

[944 Ecology]

Originally Posted by 9FF

What a great explaination by racer!

I will also add that although most people think that early offset wheels were all ET23.3, however the rear 8x15 Fuchs (and possibly others idk) were ET10.6 and were fitted with a factory spacer.

All 83 to 85/1 944s came with factory spacers for the rear axle. It didn't matter whether there were Fuchs back there or cookie cutters. Phone dials were not introduced until 1985/2 cars.

[9FF]

Originally Posted by 944 Ecology

All 83 to 85/1 944s came with factory spacers for the rear axle. It didn't matter whether there were Fuchs back there or cookie cutters. Phone dials were not introduced until 1985/2 cars.

Yes that's what I understood but not having an 83 to 85/1 car I wasn't certain. Though I know that the early offset 86 car with Fuchs option also had a rear spacer.

[944 Ecology]

Originally Posted by 9FF

Though I know that the early offset 86 car with Fuchs option also had a rear spacer.

The PET does not show that. The cars with aluminum trailing arms never had a spacer from the factory. They would have needed longer studs for that, and the PET does not show that, either. It could have been done after it left the factory, but not by the factory.

[OPRN]

Nope! No spacers on the back of this '86 and it does have aluminum trailing arms. But get a load of this, the front fuchs are 7" and the back fuchs are 8". I'm golden!

[9FF]

Originally Posted by 944 Ecology

The PET does not show that. The cars with aluminum trailing arms never had a spacer from the factory. They would have needed longer studs for that, and the PET does not show that, either. It could have been done after it left the factory, but not by the factory.

Originally Posted by OPRN

Nope! No spacers on the back of this '86 and it does have aluminum trailing arms. But get a load of this, the front fuchs are 7" and the back fuchs are 8". I'm golden!

So now I am totally confused. My 86 was bought new by me, ordered from the factory with sports seats and Fuchs, and it has 8x15 ET10.6 rear Fuchs with a spacer fitted. So you are saying someone, without my knowledge, fitted spacers at the rear at some point in its life? ....or maybe the dealer did it before I took delivery? Here's the options sticker.

[944 Ecology]

Like I said before, no cars with aluminum trailing arms had spacers fitted by the factory...

[OPRN]

So - would the factory supply wheels in different widths on the same car? If so perhaps you could order spacers too.